The present invention relates to a multi-purpose appliance for household work.
Combined appliances which have, in a single wheeled box-like body, steam generating and dispensing means and aspiration means, generally for solids and liquids, are already commercially available.
Although they constitute a technical improvement with respect to appliances for household work, such as separately provided aspirators and steam generators, as they have undisputed advantages and combine two functions in a single appliance with savings from the point of view of production and from the point of view of the user, these appliances are only partially able to meet the actual requirements of their users.
Apart from the above mentioned case of double combined steam-generating and aspirator appliance, a dedicated appliance for each specific function is currently commercially available for each household task.
This has caused houses to be invaded by a plurality of small household appliances which have subjected housewives to problems in use and to problems in bulk when these appliances are not used.
From the point of view of production, too, so far companies have had to organize themselves so as to manufacture single-use appliances, and this entails high investments as well as high facility management costs.
As also known, vacuum cleaners combined with steam generators for cleaning spaces in which there is particularly resistant dirt are available.
However, these vacuum cleaners have hardly negligible drawbacks.
These vacuum cleaners in fact usually have a single flexible duct connecting a container of the steam generator and of the aspirator to the distribution spout or handle.
The steam conveyance tube, the supplies of the distribution unit and the aspiration duct all pass within the single flexible duct.
One drawback which can be observed immediately is linked to the interaction between steam and the air at room temperature which is aspirated and is thus in forced aspiration conditions.
In fact, due to the well-known laws of thermodynamics, the steam transfers part of its heat to the forced-circulating air which surrounds its duct.
This causes the partial condensation of the steam, and therefore water drips onto the surface to be cleaned from the holes for distributing steam on said surface, and it is thus not possible to use the cleaning action of part of the steam.
Another drawback is constructive, since the unions for connection between the appliance and the connecting duct, as well as the duct itself, are particularly difficult and expensive to manufacture.
Furthermore, the electric contacts on the appliance must be protected, to avoid the deposition of steam or condensation on them in order to prevent their oxidation, which is the source of parasitic resistances which can negatively affect correct operation of the contacts and their possibility of providing appropriate contacts with the contacts provided on the connecting duct.